'This is the need of the hour': Delhi women buy new lightweight revolvers to keep sexual predators at bay

After pepper spray and pocket knives, India's women now have a brand new weapon to scare away sexual predators. A special, lightweight revolver 'Nirbheek' for women was launched by the Kanpur Ordnance Factory on Tuesday.

"This is the need of the hour. We have designed a small revolver that can be easily carried in a purse or handbag of the females. We have delivered three guns to ladies from Lucknow, Barabanki and New Delhi," M.C. Bansal, the chairman of the ordnance factory, said.

Nirbheek, a .32 bore revolver weighing 500gm, can be kept by women in their purses. The revolver will cost around Rs 1.22 lakh.

Women with their Nirbheek revolvers at the launch in Kanpur

The nomenclature of the revolver is inspired by 'Nirbhaya', a paramedical student who was brutally gang-raped in a bus in Delhi on December 16, 2012.

"Delhi is not a safe place for women. You can feel safe in the day but without a protective weapon, you cannot even think of going out in the night. That is why I decided to buy this weapon that I can comfortably carry in my purse," Seema Kharbanda, a resident of Delhi, told Mail Today by phone.

After getting the revolver, Kalpana Pandey of Barabanki told mediapersons: "It is very light, and I also fired a few shots from it. There is no problem in carrying it or handling it. We are happy that the ordnance factory designed such a weapon for our safety."

The general manager of the Field Gun Factory, Kanpur, Abdul Hameed, said it took three years to develop the revolver.

"Earlier design of the revolver was around 750gm but we made modifications to bring its weight to 500gm," he said, adding they were planning to give discounts to women on the gun in the coming years.